Friday, April 29, 2016

We live in a new era of American society. We have ongoing poverty that that have killed millions in the world since 1995. We have debt-filled money. We have policies that abrogate or violate the democratic rights of human beings in America and throughout the Earth. The cover up of Western crimes have been done by the corporate media in many cases. Since World War Two, the Earth has at least 248 armed conflicts and most of them started by America. The neocons have rekindled a Cold War II in Russia by promoting an expansion of NATO, which is against the promise that Bush Sr. made when Russia ended the Warsaw Pact. The 2008 subprime financial crisis had its roots from the 1999 repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act. On November 12, 1999, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Republican-sponsored Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which effectively removed the separation that previously existed under the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 between investment banking, which issue securities, and commercial banks that accept government insured deposits. Before 1999, the Glass-Steagall Act made it illegal for a bank holding FDIC-insured deposits to invest in anything other than government bonds and similarly low-risk vehicles. With his signature, however, President Clinton allowed largely unregulated super large banks and large insurance companies to engage in risky financial practices, as they are known to have done historically and as it should have been expected. The banks and insurance companies’ new financial products collapsed, and that led to the devastating 2008 financial crisis. The neo-con supported Iraq Liberation Act promoted efforts to remove Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Later, in 2003, the unjust Iraq War began. The Western military aggression in Libya caused untold bloodshed and destruction of Libyan lands. After the U.S. intervened in Libya along with a few European nations, some rebel groups succeeded in capturing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, on October 20, 2011. They sodomized him, and they murdered him and his family. Chaos ensued and Libya is still to this day a failed state run by groups of religious fundamentalist fanatics, besides creating millions of refugees fleeing their devastated land. Hillary Clinton was apart of this policy of invading Libya. Unelected super delegates dominate who will be the Republican and Democratic nominees for Presidents. Wall Street interests and PACs do influence elections for years and decades. The myth of American exceptionalism is loved by the members of the establishment too. We want a better society where human justice is made real for all.

Indonesian Communists, ethnic Chinese, intellectuals, union activists, and other victims were murdered by reactionary forces in Indonesia. This started in 1965. 6 generals died in September 30, 1965. The PKI or the Indonesian Communist Party had 43 million members and millions more sympathizers. Yet, military dictators took over Indonesia for decades and did mass murders also in East Timor and West Papua. President Sukarno was an independent nationalist who was respected by the Indonesian people. As one CIA adviser warned in 1963, “If the PKI is able to maintain its legal existence . . . Indonesia may be the first Southeast Asia country to be taken over by a popularly based, legally elected communist government.” Two years later, the military-led bloodbath put an end to that situation. Indonesia’s government, whose leaders include military veterans of that era, still refuses to open criminal investigations into the mass murder, as called for in 2012 by Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights. But some survivors nonetheless welcome the chance to expose truths that have been vigorously suppressed over the years by mass political arrests, press censorship, and pervasive indoctrination programs in the country’s schools. This is why many want the Obama administration to declassify U.S. government documents related to the massacres of Indonesian people just like it did recently to Argentina’s “dirty war” from 1976 to 1983. CIA documents and U.S. defense attaché papers remain classified today. Numerous Freedom of Information Act requests for these still have been denied. The genocidal acts in Indonesia were evil. Eisenhower’s administration financed an unsuccessful military rebellion in 1958 against the neutralist Sukarno government. The U.S., British and Australian intelligence operative planted false stories about PKI plots to assassinate army leaders and to cause a revolt (via importing weapons from Communist China). Suharto and his colleagues quickly arrested the killers, blamed the PKI for the atrocity, and aroused popular outrage by spreading false stories that the murdered generals had been sexually mutilated. They also charged that Indonesia’s Communists were targeting Islamic leaders. In response, the country’s largest Muslim organization issued an order to “eliminate all Communists.” On Oct. 5, 1965, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Marshall Green informed Washington that Muslim groups were “lined up behind” the army, which “now has opportunity to move against PKI if it acts quickly. . . Momentum is now at peak with discovery of bodies of murdered army leaders. In short, it’s now or never.” Green was hopeful: “Much remains in doubt, but it seems almost certain that agony of ridding Indonesia of effects of Sukarno . . . has begun.” To help make sure that came to pass, Green advised telling coup leaders of “our desire to be of assistance where we can,” while remaining in the shadows. In addition, by December 1965 the U.S. embassy began sending the Indonesian military lists of PKI leaders — facilitating their liquidation. “It really was a big help to the army,” said Robert J. Martens, a former member of the U.S. Embassy’s political section. “They probably killed a lot of people, and I probably have a lot of blood on my hands, but that’s not all bad. There’s a time when you have to strike hard at a decisive moment.” So, this Indonesian genocide was evil and it showed the brutality of Western imperialism and reactionary policies.

That video (of innocent men reading anti-woman comments to female journalists, who are the victims of disrespect) recognizes the epidemic of the disrespect of women. It doesn't just occur in the Internet. It occurs in the streets and even in job settings at times. This is why I have no respect for any demented troll who uses vitriolic slander against women. Women have been the victims of harassment, rape, murder, and other evils. Society must change. It is a disgrace for cowards to exploit the anonymity of the Net as way for them to hurt other people. We can agree on issues and disagree on issues. Yet, there is no excuse for viciously attacking any woman verbally. We certainly know that tons of women are strong and have expressed resiliency plus they are fighting back against the injustices of pay inequalities and sexism. Misogyny is an evil scourge. We should speak out and enact social activism to fight for what's right. I am glad that the child survived (in Baltimore after he was shot). I will not give the police the benefit of the doubt. During this time, there should be a thorough, independent investigation to ascertain a precise, accurate determination of all facets of the event. Two cops involved in the incidents were plains clothes cops, so they didn't have their uniforms on. We have heard plenty of stories in Baltimore about youth being harassed by some police. So, all facts should be known and we wish for the child to have a full recovery.

Immigrant rights doesn’t just deal with Latino people. It also deals with black immigrants as well. Right now, the Supreme Court is listening to arguments in the United States v. Texas court case. This is the case that challenges President Obama’s oral arguments on immigration. The President’s measures want to protect nearly 4.5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation. It will allow them to apply for work permits under the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). These actions were blocked by a lawsuit claiming an undue burden to the Texas government in issuing ID and driver’s license documents to newly eligible U.S. residents. People, who bring up the legal challenge, want to block any portion of the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in America to access services from being able to navigate society (with safety and dignity and from obtaining a small amount of relief from the threat of deportation). The administration executive order is small and a temporary step. We want a full, robust transformation of the immigration. Change is happening. There are groups like the BAJI or the Black Alliance for Just Immigration that since 2006 have been fighting for the human rights of black people. They focus on analyzing the causes of migration and promoting a human rights framework in creating solutions. The U.S. immigration system is heavily racialized. BAJI wants black leadership in the immigration movement. We want racial justice.

Protesters and activists are in the Supreme Court building to speak their minds. There are Latinos, whites, and black people there. People from immigrants who are from Haiti, Cameroon, etc. talk about what is means to be Black once they come into America. Immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean have lives that matter. The newly formed UndocBlack Network have promoted immigrant rights and economic justice too. UndocBlack is led and organized independently by Black undocumented immigrants (many of whom are part of the Black Immigration Network). As the US population is reshaped by immigration, the Black population in particular is becoming increasingly foreign born: The foreign-born segment of the Black community is estimated to reach 16.5 percent by 2060 due to the rapid rate of immigration from Africa and the Caribbean. Opal Tometi (or one co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement) is a Nigerian-American. Black immigrants are running for office in black immigrant enclaves like in Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Miami. Social and economic justice are what we believe in. Just as the civil rights movement led to the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, Black leadership today will help lead to critical interventions and the necessary shift forward in the fight to change immigration policy. We are fighting against mass criminalization, corrupt policing, and other injustices. There is an intersectionality of humanity. Immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean always played leadership roles in Black liberation struggles from slave insurrection to the Black Power movement. We are fighting for our human rights.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Many developments happened last night. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the billionaire Donald Trump made many victories in the primaries of the Northeast. This makes Clinton and Trump ever closer to the Presidential nominations among both parties. Five northeastern states had their primaries. Hillary Clinton won Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware. Bernie Sanders won Rhode Island. Ironically, Rhode Island was the only one of the five states to hold an open primary where independents including registered Democrats can cast ballots. The Democratic Party establishment, some in the media, etc. want Hillary Clinton to be the winner of the Democratic primary in general. There was a smaller proportion of the electorate voting of the youth on Tuesday (being only 10 percent) than compared to the average of 17 percent in previous Democratic primaries this year. For the Republican primaries, Trump won all five states. Trump won 55 percent or more of the total vote in every contest. The rest were divided between his two remaining rivals. Texas Senator Ted Cruz finished second in Pennsylvania which is the most populous state to vote Tuesday. The Ohio Governor John Kasich was second in all of the others. Neither won more than 30 percent of the vote in any of the five states. Clinton and Trump are in position to clinch the nomination. The two front runners are highly unpopular among many people. Hillary Clinton gave her victory rally in Philadelphia. Hillary Clinton attacked Donald Trump as he is the likely Republican nominee. She wanted to appeal to Sanders supporters to ally with her in promoting quality, affordable health care, raising wages, and cutting the cost of college. She pledged to Keep American troops out of another ground war in the Middle East.” This was ironic, since during her four years as Obama’s Secretary of State, Clinton was one of the foremost advocates of US military intervention in the civil war in Syria and during the campaign she has called for the setting up of “safe zones” to expand the war for regime-change against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. She continues as well to defend the 2011 US-NATO bombing campaign in Libya, which destroyed the country as a functioning society. The Clinton team has put pressure on Bernie Sanders to end his campaign and to not mention her links to Wall Street corporations. Donald Trump wanted Cruz and Kasich to end their campaigns immediately. Trump is headed to the May 3 primary in Indiana (where Cruz has a lot of support). Super delegates, delegates, and other votes come into play. Sanders want to support Hillary Clinton if in his own words (on NBC’s Meet the Press), “the major responsibility will be on Secretary Clinton to convince all people, not just my supporters, that she is the kind of president this country needs to represent working people in this country, to take on the big money interests who have so much power, to fight for what the American people want.” Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump want to promote American capitalism, which has been a detriment to the poor and working class.

There is a high popular of adult coloring books in the world. I do see more black people learning about Afrocentric subjects and studying black historical information. This coloring book is exquisite, creative, and beautiful. Art is one of the many gifts among our people and I certainly love AfroZen. Africa is beautiful. It has wonderful people with dynamic cultures and multidimensional characteristics as we (as black people) are a multidimensional people. Coloring books are not age specific as people from across age demographics have every right to enjoy themselves and color in such books. This is magnificent news. There is nothing wrong with discernment. Yeshua lived his life to condemn the rich a lot of times and he even threw the money changes out of the Temple. So, he opposed the agenda of the greedy megachurch preachers (of his day) who want to demonize the poor as an excuse for them to promote Mammon. Human beings can never live by greed and selfishness. It is sad to witness the poor (many of whom with welfare and some are homeless) sending their money to corrupt pastors who are more concerned with economic exploitation than spiritual growth & community development. If many of those megachurches use that money to build shelters, address poverty, and to organize an economic power growing agenda for our communities, then some changes can come.

How sad. It is clear that many voter ID laws complicate matters despite record low voter fraud in America. We know that many voter ID laws restrict the types of IDs that can be used. Some of them decrease the days in which people can vote. So, it is a shame that Sister Virginia McLaurin has so much difficulty voting. We are never ashamed of progressive change either. It was progressive minded people who fought against the Confederacy, caused the Constitution to give women the right to vote, worked to pass the Civil Rights Act including the Voting Rights Act, worked to advance workers' rights (and workers' protections), and promoted real laws to protect our environment. Therefore, there should be measures to make sure that Virginia McLaurin has the opportunity to vote. This story (or the murder of Amy in a Delaware high school bathroom) should make anyone recognize the necessity to confront the evil of unwarranted violence in our world. Amy was murdered. She was murdered by evil people who desired harm and brutality instead of peace and love. There should be no sugarcoating about the occurrence. Not only should the girls, who killed Amy in a heinous fashion, should be prosecuted. The person, who videotaped the murder, should be criticized too. This person recorded such brutality and didn't do anything to stop it and didn't even run to get security guards to try to stop the fight. That certainly sickens me. As other great people have written, there is many young people who have a sick Worldstar sick mentality where some want to glamorize violence and fighting as a means for some of them to gain some sort of perverted "notoriety" or "popularity." That mentality must end, because integrity and justice has nothing to do with murder, brutality, and harming black youth. More youth should be taught about respect, peaceful co-existence, and honor. I send prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Amy.

This is one of the most bizarre stories that I have read in my life. These children deserve much more respect than this. The words from Aaron are creepy and he is treating these kids as fetishes under the guise of "religion" (since they are black babies) instead of human beings, which is wrong. I hope that these children somehow learn about black history and black culture by any means necessary. I read the article. He tries to justify his fetishizing black babies under the guise of his religious creed. They are treating these babies as social experiments and not as true human beings. It is very disturbing. Adoption shouldn't be fetishized. I have great concerns for the babies as well. The family see it that it is their duty to carry forth black embryos since the couple admitted that they feel that God didn't want to conceive white kids presently. So, they wanted to create in their words a little "United Nations." The truth is that many whites want to control the minds, the bodies, and the souls of black people so they can be implanted with Eurocentric thinking. I have noticed that white couple haven't talked about teaching them about Africa or the black African Diaspora. They want to fetishize the black children in a sick way. Yes, a black couple never does this action en masse at all. We should own our own bodies and not let any white person to use us as commodities or social experiments. The couple act like that they are doing the world a favor, which is disturbing. We love freedom and we abhor slavery. These children need the Knowledge of Self (about black liberation, etc.) in the most critical way. We want black children to never be compliant, "respectable" servants to white society. We want black children to be strong, conscious, socially aware, and apt to defend the black community wholeheartedly.

Today, it has been over one year since Freddie Gray’s death. Baltimore is a strong city with many political changes. The residents of Baltimore have not only protested for real change. They have joined independent economic and political organizations in order to solve problems. Freddie Gray was arrested, forced into a van, and was never taken immediately to a hospital for assistance (and Freddie Gray was dead after he had a coma in the hospital). Residents say that many cops sill harass and assault black people in poor communities of Baltimore. Baltimore has a beautiful downtown and I have seen it in real life recently. Yet, Baltimore’s poor communities have been disrespected, neglect, and not invested adequately. This must change. Recreation centers are being closed down while the Inner Harbor is filled with tourists and corporate investments. The wealthy historically refuse to give up their privileges voluntarily. That is why in order for things to change, we must change. Young Baltimore people are involved in the social justice movement too like Kelly Holsey, Abdul Salaam, Derrick Chase, Joshua Harris, and other people. This is a fight for racial justice, for a living wage, for affordable, universal medical care, for decent housing for all, and for environmental justice. Recently, hundreds of people in Baltimore marched to remember Freddie Gray. Today, we shall see who the new mayor of Baltimore is. The current Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake has decide to not run for reelection and she has fired her police chief. The Uprising in April 2015 showed the world that economic injustice has not ended. The growth and evolution of the Black Lives Matter movement developed as a product of the Baltimore rebellion. We have a problem with police brutality and other issues. More people know about how capitalism is a scourge in the world and revolutionary change must occur. Therefore, we are in an international fight against imperialism.

Monday, April 25, 2016

During the Reconstruction period of Washington, D.C., the city has grown. By 1870, the District’s population had grown 75% from previous census to nearly 132,000 residents. Despite the city’s growth, Washington D.C. still had dirt roads and lacked basic sanitation. The situation was so bad that some members of Congress suggested moving the capital further west. Yet, President Ulysses S. Grant refused to consider such a proposal. There were poor conditions in the capital. So, Congress passed the Organic Act of 1871. This law revoked the individual charities of the cities of Washington and Georgetown. It created a new territorial government for the whole District of Columbia. The act provided for a governor appointed by the President, a legislative assembly with an upper house composed of eleven appointed council members and a 22 member house of delegates elected by residents of the District. The law allowed an appointed Board of Public Workers charged with modernizing the city. President Grant appointed Alexander Robey Shepherd (who was an influential member of the Board of Public Works) to the post of governor in 1873. Shepherd authorized large scale municipal projects, which greatly modernized Washington, D.C. Yet, the governor spent three times the money that they had been budgeted for capital improvement and it ultimately bankrupted the city. In 1874, Congress abolished the District's territorial government and replaced it with a three-member Board of Commissioners appointed by the President, of which one was a representative from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The three Commissioners would then elect one of themselves to be president of the commission. Another act of Congress in 1878 made the three members Board of Commissioners the permanent government of the District of Columbia. The act also had the effect of eliminating any remaining local institutions like the boards on schools, health, and police. The commissioners would maintain this form of direct rule for nearly a century. Motorized streetcars in the District started to begin service in 1888 and it gave service in areas beyond the City of Washington’s original boundaries. In 1888, Congress required all new developments within the District to conform to the layout of the City of Washington. The City of Washington's northern border of Boundary Street was renamed Florida in 1890, reflecting growth of suburban areas in the County of Washington. The city's streets were extended throughout the District starting in 1893. An additional law passed in 1895 mandated that Washington formally absorb Georgetown, which until then had maintained a nominal separate identity, and renamed its streets. With a consolidated government and the transformation of suburban areas within the District into urban neighborhoods, the entire city eventually took on the name Washington, D.C.

During Reconstruction, Howard University was founded in 1867 and black males were given the right of suffrage (or the right to vote) in the same year. Howard University is one of the most famous Historically Black Universities (HBCUs) in America. It has great research facilities and it coeducational and nonsectarian. It has business courses and it’s one of the top universities in America. Many strong, courageous African Americans have graduated from Howard University. The new institution was named for General Oliver Otis Howard, a Civil War hero, who was both the founder of the University and, at the time, Commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau. Howard later served as President of the university from 1869–74. Howard University would play an important role in the Reconstruction movement and the civil rights movement. In the year of 1869, the National Convention of the Colored Men of America which was held in D.C. and in the same year, the American Equal Rights Association would meet in the city too. Norton P. Chipman becomes delegate to the US House of Representatives from the District of Columbia. Telephones came to D.C. in 1878. In the early 1880’s, the Washington City Canal was covered over. Originally an expansion of Tiber Creek, the canal connected the Capitol with the Potomac, running along the north side of the Mall where Constitution Avenue is today. However, as the nation transitioned over to railroads for its transport, the canal had become nothing more than a stagnant sewer, and so it was removed. Some reminders of the canal still exist. South of the Capitol, there was a road named Canal Street, which connected Independence Avenue, W and E Street, SE (although the northern most section of the street was renamed Washington avenue to commemorate the state of Washington. A lock keeper’s house was built in 1835 at the eastern terminal of the C&O Canal (where the C C&O emptied into Tiber Creek and the Potomac River) remains at the southwest corner of Constitution Avenue, NW, (formerly B Street, NW) and 17th Street, NW, The western end of the City Canal emptied into the Potomac and connected with the C&P Canal near the lock keeper’s house. One of the most important Washington architects of this period was the German immigrant Adolf Cluss. From the 1860s to the 1890s, he constructed over 80 public and private buildings throughout the city, including the National Museum, the Agriculture Department, Sumner and Franklin schools. The Washington Monument, a tribute to George Washington and the world's tallest stone structure, was completed in 1884. In 1890, D.C. had a population of 230,392. The American University was founded in 1893, the American Negro Academy was founded in 1897, and the Height of Buildings Act of 1899 was legislated in 1899.

The 21st century in Washington, D.C. began with many events. By the year 2000, the Million Mom March was held in D.C. This was the rally of thousands of people to call for tighter gun control. The march had an attendance of 750,000 people. On September 11, 2001, the Pentagon (which is in Arlington, Virginia) was attacked. The Pentagon is across the river from Washington, D.C. United Airlines Flight 93, which was also hijacked and which went down in an open field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, supposedly intended to target either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. From 9/11 onward, Washington D.C. became more involved in security protection measures. Soon, many high profile incidents and other evil acts have occurred in Washington, D.C. In October 2001, there were the anthrax attacks. It involved anthrax contaminated mail sent to many members of Congress. It infected 31 staff members and killed 2 U.S. Postal Service employees who handled the contaminated mail at the Brentwood sorting facility. An FBI and DOJ investigation determined the likely culprit of the anthrax attacks to be Bruce, a scientist, but he committed suicide in July 2008 before formal charges were filed. There were the acts of the Beltway Sniper attacks in October 2002. It lasted for 3 weeks around the DMV area. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were the shooters and they were arrested on October 24, 2002. They murdered 10 innocent people. 3 other people were wounded. In 2003 and 2004, a serial arsonist set over 40 fires, mainly in the District and the close-in Maryland suburbs, with one fire killing an elderly woman. A local man was arrested in the serial arson case in April 2005 and pled guilty.

The toxin ricin was found in the mailroom of the White House in November 2003 and in the mailroom of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in February 2004. These events caused more screening devices, metal detectors, and other high tech security measures in Washington, D.C.(especially in major federal government buildings). The Washington Convention Center was rebuilt in 2003. By 2007, Adrian Fenty became mayor. After 2007, student achievement tests at the secondary level reportedly rose 14 points in reading and 17 points in math. Student SAT scores rose 27 points in 2010. Graduation rates rose each year since 2007, and 72 percent of District students took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), which functions as a practice test for college bound students. The Nationals Park stadium opened in 2008. Under Fenty, 16 neighborhood and school playgrounds were opened and nine play courts and fields were completed. Fenty wasn’t a progressive on every issue though, especially on collective bargaining (Fenty opposed collective bargaining, which is his mistake). Vincent C. Gray became mayor in 2011 and the City Center DC construction started in the same year. In 2015, Sister Muriel Bowser became mayor of Washington D.C. She is the second African American woman to be mayor (the first was Sharon Pratt Kelly). Mayor Muriel Bowser is dealing with many issues from education, health care, and criminal justice matters.

Amy in Delaware was recently murdered in a school bathroom by a group of girls. There is a serious problem where some of the youth outright glamorize violence. Beating up on kids is low and very heinous. Some evil kids outright use cameras to record unjust violence against people. Some target kids and adults alike, regardless of age. There are so many stories where adults were once the victims of taunts, assaults, harassment, etc. I do find that many of the trolls in the Internet harbor the same mentality as the bullies of yesteryear and today. Trolls (we now who they are) are the epitome of cowardice and hate. What is truly sick is that none of the murderers so far have been arrested. These killers should be convicted. The ones, who physically killed Amy are reprehensible including the people who recorded the murder and did nothing about it. Basically, the murderers created a perverted snuff film. Amy was a smart, articulate, and caring girl whose life was taken. We are all in favor of justice and standing up against murder, abhorring bullying, and following integrity. Bullying is evil and unjust. Some people embrace the evil stereotype that every introverted person is arrogant or hates people. People have said that Amy was a nice, quiet young girl. Violence against innocent people is evil. Also, what is sick is how some people recorded Amy being murdered. Some folks just like a blood lust literally for nihilistic violence and certainly enough is enough. Taking a stand against evil is a necessity. I feel for Amy's parents. They are going through immeasurable pain and heartache. Some of the youth have no home training. Some folks have a viciousness in how they interact with people. I feel so bad for the girl's parents. Some young people have no respect for even elders and that must change. There is nothing wrong with being different and the more people show true love and honor the diversity of humanity, the better off the world would be. Amy was a girl with the whole world ahead. She could have been a lawyer, a teacher, a businesswoman, etc. but her life was ended by criminals. Amy had a kind soul and she was a girl who loved her family. Society should change in order for introverts and other human beings to be treated as human beings. Like always, we honor the sacrifice and heroic courage of Harriet Tubman. She saved hundreds of lives of black people. Yet, her being placed on the dollar bill was used as a means by the powers that be to deflect their responsibility in sugarcoating their oppression of our people. Also, other racists are still on our currency. So, we have a long way to go. Also, we should expose Andrew Jackson (who destroyed a black fort filled with black men, black women, and black children. The Battle of Negro Fort was a short military siege in 1816 in which forces of the United States assaulted and managed to blow up an African-American fortified stronghold in the frontier of northern Spanish Florida.The Seminole Wars are interesting to study) too as a white supremacist, a person who had black slaves, and he was involved in the Panic during the 19th century that harmed the economy. Having Andrew Jackson on the back of the 20 dollar bill is disgraceful. So, we have to know about the subtle tactics of white supremacy.

Friday, April 22, 2016

We all mourn the passing of Prince. Prince was more than a musician. He was part of a movement that wanted to allow human beings to express themselves creatively. He showed the world that regardless of your sex, race, or background, being different and expressing yourself in diverse ways is always sacrosanct. He was in many movies, but he loved to perform. From his Super bowl performance to doing concerts in various towns, he loved to give people an amazing show. Her personified excellence in his work ethic and his song writing. He was a producer and an innovator of culture. He shocked people, inspired people, and made a lasting impact on world culture. He showed the Earth that masculinity is not monolithic and that femininity is beautiful too. Purple Rain set trends and is highly popular to this day. He was a humanitarian too. He supported the Black Lives Matter movement and made a concert for Freddie Gray in the great city of Baltimore. R&B, soul, rock, and other genres of music were expressed by him. He also promoted coding for black youth. Coding involved using computer technology and technology in general to help humanity in positive ways. He also talked about the recession and exposed how big banks on Wall Street received a bailout while everyone else has to wait. Back during the 1980’s, he wanted Ronald Reagan to have diplomacy instead of strident warfare with the USSR. He promoted artist creativity and artists owning their works. That is why he fought against Warner Brothers in order for him to have control over his own work. He was a controversial artist who reveled in his controversial actions. Many artists are passing away during this year alone. He was ahead of time. Before many artists, there was Prince. He proved the point that you can be creative and unique and still help your fellow human being. Music is meant not only to be enjoyed. Some music is just meant to challenge conventional ideals and to inspire change. Prince did those things when he was alive. You don't have to confirm to the whims of the corporate establishment. You can use your power to own your own music. Certainly, his music will live on forever.

RIP Prince.

Also, a great artist always respects the legends. One of the greatest things that a person (who is a musician) can do is to honor the legends that paved the way for that person to perform. We certainly desire a true renaissance where people use diverse instruments to get their points across and real music is shown from a place of honesty and love (in a higher level). Without love, a'int no real music will transpire and flourish. Many people don't listen to the radio anymore. Many of the young people with great talent today are either rare, not exposed to the wider public, or more in the underground. You always will have amazing people like Janelle Monae, Jasmine Sullivan, Monica, and others in any generation, but we want the youth to be inspired. That is what we want. We want the youth to see that they should never fear creativity. They should embrace it. The handwriting is on the wall and we send condolences to Prince's family and friends. A lot of music today is homogenized and watered down. Young folks have to be taught to take time to create music and find that deep inner parts of their lives and express themselves about how they really feel. Instant gratification doesn't inspire true, inspirational creativity. Real creativity comes from the soul and from our experiences. That is why the industry has been so bad recently in wanting a quick fix instead of inspiring independently thinking artists more opportunities to express themselves. Purple Rain came out months after I was born. So, I saw the film during the 1990's. He certainly entertained taboos, but he always wanted to be his own individual. People respect his genius and the fact that he wasn't ashamed to express himself. Back in the 1980's, a man had to have guts straight up to do what he did lyrically and music wise. Prince definitely expressed genius immensely. That is why I believe in the public funding of music in our schools. His memory will never be forgotten. Yet, some young folks do have a problem with not taking the time to create genius in terms of music of songs. Sometimes, genius is created by study, by trial and error, and by effort. Other times, genius is just natural. Young folks have to learn about sacrifice and life is not about selfishness. It is about selflessness.

The political race is very contentious now in 2016. There are certainly 2 bourgeois political parties in America. We see Wall Street interests and corporate leaders influencing the Democrats and the Republicans. We have an overtly racist, billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump dominating the Republican primaries. The candidate Bernie Sanders is now struggling against Hillary Clinton for delegates. Sanders’ plan of Medicare for all, free tuition for universities, and a $15 an hour minimum wage has appealed to the youth and workers. He is redbaited, but he isn’t a socialist. Sanders has unfortunately supported bloody wars, occupations, and other actions of U.S. imperialists. He once voted for the extradition of Assata Shakur from Cuba to America, which is wrong. Bernie Sanders is a New Dealer. Hillary Clinton (who is a Democrat, which was the one time party of the Confederacy and Jim Crow) is winning many votes in the midst of the fascists supporting the Republican Party. Hillary Clinton is notorious for her advocacy of imperialism and allying with the corporate power structure. The Republican candidates make no bones about their sexism, their anti-immigrant racism, and their Islamophobia. Economic nationalism is popular in America, but workers are not just exploited in America, but workers internationally need liberation too. Demonstrators protesting Trump’s rallies have been assaulted and black protesters subjected to cries of “go back to Africa.” The KKK and other fascist groups are crawling out of their holes, with former Klan grand wizard David Duke declaring, “Voting against Donald Trump at this point, is really treason to your heritage.” So, we know about Trump, Cruz, and Kasich’s extremism. I oppose the agenda of Donald Trump and Donald Trump is just plain wrong. I’m glad that some people are being indicted (for involvement in the Flint, Michigan water crisis). I can’t imagine anyone not being indicted when so many men, women, and children have suffered so much as a product of the poisoning of the waters of Flint, Michigan. Lead is a notorious neurotoxin and many children have permanent brain damage as a product of being poisoned. Multiple levels of government are responsible for this tragedy. Capitalist greed and capitalist exploitation are personified in this Flint tragedy. More criminals should be indicted as well and the Governor of Michigan should resign. Not only did the MDEQ drop the ball, but the current Governor has dropped the ball too. He can drink water in Flint (in an exploitative publicity stunt), but he needs to be held accountable for his actions. Emergency aid from the federal government should definitely be sent into Flint as the residents of Flint are experiencing a serious emergency. Also, the emergency manager system must end in the state of Michigan. Water is a human right.

World Trade Center 7 is a building in lower Manhattan. The original WTC & was completed in 1987 (with 47 stories tall with an red exterior masonry and it occupied a trapezoidal footprint). In 1988, Salomon Brothers signed a long-term lease, and became the main tenants of the building. It was destroyed by the evil September 11 attacks. During 9/11, WTC 7 was damaged by debris when the nearby North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. The debris also ignired fired. The current recreated World Trade Center Number Seven was opened in 2006. Both buildings were developed by Larry Silverstein, who holds a ground lease for the site from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The new 7 World Trade Center has 52 stoires and is 741 feet tall. It has 42 floors of leasable space, starting at the 11th floor, and a total of 1,700,000 sq ft (160,000 m2) of office space. It has stainless steel design in it too. Some call the building as the safest skyscraper in America. It has Otis destination elevators. World Trade Center collapsed on the time of 5:20:33 pm. EST. The World Trade Center 7 is part of the World Trade Center complex. There has been a huge debate about whether explosives or not were used in WTC 7. First, more facts must be shown here. World Trade Center Seven wasn’t hit by an airplane, it was largely undamaged for a time, it had its fireproofing intact for a time, and it collapsed from the bottom instead from the top. Structural engineer Tony Szamboti is part of the engineers affiliated with the Architects & Engineers for 9/11. He said that the NIST report has flaws. The NIST believed that the WTC 7 fell by fire alone. The final Report of the NIST avoided physical testing, but use computer models heavily. Even the NIST had to admit that the diesel fuel was not responsible for the collapse as the official story of 9/11 claimed. The NIST ignored the many points of evidence of molten steel at the building’s base and the steel sulfidation as documented by FEMA. This debate has continued to this very day. The Madrid tower partially collapsed; the hotel in Beijing remained fully intact. The fact that Building 7 collapsed in seconds, symmetrically, and with only a fraction of the fire that the Madrid (in 2005) and Beijing (in 2009) towers experienced. The NIST believes that WTC 7 fell by fire and debris.

First, we should take time to revere and honor the sacrifice of Harriet Tubman. She saved lives, stood up against tyranny and promoted justice for our people. America was created in the midst of hypocrisy and contradictions. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were slave owners and racists. For a long time, many groups wanted Harriet Tubman to be on the 20 dollar bill. I read where she won’t be on the 20 dollar bill until years later. Today, some want to use this news as a means to promote the myth that we have progress. We should be focused on eliminating racism and economic oppression. Harriet Tubman being on the 20 dollar bill is better than having Andrew Jackson on it, but we shouldn’t celebrate token gestures when we still have a corrupt system oppressing our people. This system continues to harm our black people, so we don’t have a total victory until the system of white supremacy is gone being replaced with a system of justice. Ben Carson have made it his duty to submit to the interests of the GOP (which have a long history of promoting the War on Drugs, austerity, race-baiting, etc. Both parties of the Democrats and the Republicans have done nefarious actions). For him to praise Andrew Jackson makes me very aware of why I disagree with him. Carson supports Trump, who is the same male (not man since Trump is not a real man) who disrespects him during that campaign. So, I am not surprised at his statements. Ben Carson praising a racist slave owner like Andrew Jackson makes Ben Carson a sellout. Also, I find it interesting that he wants Harriet Tubman to be on a 2 dollar bill rather than a 20. Regardless if one agrees with Tubman on a bill or not, that statement shows a slick way of him in making Jackson above Tubman (in significance), which isn’t the case at all. Andrew Jackson was a white supremacist who owned slaves, oppressed Native Americans, and appointed the racist Chief Taney to the Supreme Court. Taney supported the evil Dred Scott decision. Andrew Jackson used pet banks, which contributed to the Panic of 1837 when the nation experienced a massive recession. So, our eyes are open about these issues. We always praise the hero Harriet Tubman for her strength, her sacrifice, and for her courage as a great black woman.

The news is out. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won the New York state primaries. They have received huge victories. This event caused former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire Donald Trump to increase their front runner status. Hillary Clinton defeated Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders by a margin of 57 percent to 47 percent. She had about 1.1 million votes as compared to the 800,000 votes that Bernie Sanders have received. Democratic turnout in NY was up about 10 percent as compared to the last contested primary in 2008 when Clinton defeated Barack Obama by nearly the same percentage margin. There is the delegate count, which was divided proportionally. The Democratic National Convention will be held in Philadelphia. Media tabulations have Clinton with 1,424 elected delegates to 1,149 for Sanders, a margin of 275. When unelected super delegates—party officials and officeholders, who overwhelmingly favor Clinton—are included, Clinton’s lead more than doubles to 713, with 1,893 for Clinton compared to 1,180 for Sanders. A total of 2,382 are required to win the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton rolled up her majority in New York City and its suburbs. She won all five boroughs of the city and the five suburban counties (Nassau and Suffolk on Long Island and Westchester, Rockland and Orange north of the city). Upstate, Clinton won narrowly in Erie County (Buffalo), Monroe County (Rochester) and Onondaga County (Syracuse). Sanders actually won 49 of New York’s 62 counties, including the rural areas and the smaller manufacturing centers like Schenectady, Utica and Binghamton, as well as the state capital, Albany. NY is a closed primary where only registered Democrats can vote. Most of the remaining primaries have the same rules, which is in favor of a Hillary victory. Sanders have won a lot of independent and young voters. On the Republican side, Republicans won 60 percent of the vote. John Kasich won 25 percent of the vote and Ted Cruz won on 15 percent of the vote. The total Republican vote was up more than 20 percent compared to 2008, but still far below the total in the Democratic contest. All three Republicans combined won fewer votes than Hillary Clinton in the heavily Democratic state. Under Republican Party rules awarding delegates on a winner-take-all basis if a candidate wins 50 percent of the vote in a congressional district or statewide, Trump won at least 90 of the 95 delegates elected Tuesday, with Kasich taking the remainder. Cruz won zero delegates, finishing a poor third in all 27 congressional districts in the state. Trump now leads the Republican contest with 849 delegates compared to 559 for Cruz, with 1,237 required for the nomination. The New York result does not clinch the nomination for Trump, but it makes it considerably more difficult to prevent him accumulating the needed delegates in the 15 states still to vote. This is a new era where there is a high risk of a Hillary vs. Trump race (who are unpopular among many people). Hillary Clinton in her victory speech in Manhattan (on Tuesday night) talked about Roosevelt, Obama, education, infrastructure, heath care, and other issues. Yet, she omit her pro-war mongering policies and her support of the escalation of military actions in the Middle East. Hillary criticized Cruz and Trump for their extremist views. The Sanders campaign is still going. Sanders’ campaign manager, Jeff Weaver said on MSNBC that Sanders must win 3 of the 5 next contests on April 26 in order to have a path for the nomination. Next Tuesday, primaries will happen in five East Coast states of: Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. This is the beginning of the end of the Democratic and Republican nomination races.

It is a disgraceful punishment. It's a type of "punishment" that shows how the criminal injustice system treats black families readily. We have a serious problem where police brutality is real and crooked police are treated in a level of genuflection (by some individuals) on an obscene level. This person not only shot and killed an unarmed black man. He also did nothing to call an ambulance for about 20 minutes (NYPD cops are trained in CPR before they graduate from the Academy). He argued with another police officer about what to do. He and the other officer enacted blatant negligence. Both officers violated their own police protocols. They or those cops stepped over a dying Akai Gurley, and walked down one more flight of stairs to speak with the neighbor (whose name is Melissa Lopez) on the phone with 911, leaving an untrained civilian to perform CPR on a bleeding victim. Neither Liang nor Landau ever called for an ambulance. It was Gurley's girlfriend (whose name is Melissa Butler) who ultimately administered CPR initially not those cops. People who have done far less have received longer sentences than that cop. It is something that people should be outraged about. Doing what is right sometimes will make you hated by some. It is best to be hated by some for doing what is right than to be a coward and placate an injustice. Thompson enacted compromise in order to promote the status quo. When he or the DA Thomspon wrote a letter about wanting no jail time for a killer, it showed what he was all about. His political career is totally gone since folks won't forget how he disrespected Akai Gurley's family. I can't fathom how anyone can protest in support of some crooked cop who refused to give immediate medical assistance to an innocent human being. Like the saying goes, we are all be got. We know that police misconduct is a problem found nationally and globally. I express condolences to the family of Akai Gurley. They (or Gurley's family) deserve much more respect than this.

This is a great story (of the eight black women who are about to get their PhDs) and we all express joy and happiness at the momentous accomplishments of eight black women. Eight black women are making a historic endeavor and we honor their sacrifices. Their stories pronounce clearly and unquestionably the principle that Yes She Can. Yes she can since black women are the mothers of human life. Yes she can, because the human mind is powerful and black women have always utilized education in an enthusiastic, positive, and sacred fashion. Bless all 8 Sisters. It is important to fight for the human rights of the poor and promote the separation of church and state. It is important to improve the environment and to stand up for racial justice. It is important to expose the corrupt actions from Wall Street interests. We know that health care is a human right and the criminal justice system is corrupt (the mass incarceration state has harmed many of our families). We believe that the human autonomy of women must be protected and that police terrorism must be gone. We know how one candidate (whose husband supported NAFTA and other repugnant neoliberal policies) supported a coup in Honduras, believes in aggressive talk against Iran, and voted for the Iraq War (those positions from Hillary are position that I obviously disagree with). Education should be expanded among American citizens. Also, we are against imperialism and any form of evil oppression. We reject torture when Trump (who is a vulgar misogynist) supports torture. We reject unjust violence against protesters as Trump is evil to advocate violence against protesters (by his own words). We believe in investments in our communities and we abhor the system of oligarchy. We love our civil liberties and we believe that power should be in the hands of the people not exclusively to the 1 percent. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the NY primaries and others. So, people should vote their conscience and I do believe in social justice wholeheartedly.

The Buzzfeed video played on racial stereotypes, the video included inaccurate statements, and it was disrespectful to black people (in saying that we are a bunch of contradicting, lazy, and dancing bigots when the people who originated the modern system of racism/white supremacy aren't black people). The ironic part is that far right people actually believe in the lies and stereotypes found in the video. Many conservative extremists actually say those erroneous statements in real life. It is a positive development for a lot of black people to condemn the torrid essence of the Buzzfeed video. The reality is that black people have expressed self reflection, condemned oppression, promoted education, and seek social change for a long time. It is a past time for black people to be made the scapegoats for every problem in society unfortunately. Black people are diverse and our dignity shouldn't up for sale. Also, we have a lot of power. It is certainly imperative for us to grow our own media services that we control. In that sense, we can control more of our voices and we can express views in a widespread fashion about our interests and about our goals. There should be a real fight against poverty not a minor skirmish. Poor people are the notorious scapegoats for the actions of multinational corporations. I congratulate the Black Lives Matter movement and the Fight for 15 movement protesting side by side. Austerity doesn't work and we realize that our standard of living have been harmed by bad trade deals, economic exploitation, and by neoliberal economics in general. Welfare as we know it is gone and we see the continued growth of economic inequality since the 1980's as Reaganomics damaged communities nationwide. Many of the homeless are restricted of their rights in urban and rural communities. So, we believe in racial justice and economic justice. We not only want working people to have justice. We want the poor, the homeless, the disabled, and others to have shelter, to have health care, and to have their human dignity respected. That is what we want wholeheartedly.

This is one of the most heartbreaking, disturbing stories that I have read in my life. All those involved in the abuse and murder of the Army veteran should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This is why we are opposed to the massive corruption found in the corporate-sponsored prison industrial complex. This is why folks are protesting in the streets in desiring the criminal injustice system to change radically. This is why the BLM movement is very powerful in America and in other places of the world. The cops involved in the late man's abuse violated protocols and many legal statues. They have expressed cruelty and brutality on a massive scale. I'm outraged and I can't mention the words that I really wanted to say about the abusers who did this to this man. These criminals left this human being to die and we believe in justice. I send my condolences to the family of Elliot Williams and we are in solidarity with his family.
RIP Brother Elliot Williams.

Osama bin Laden was one of the controversial and evil men in our history. He consciously choose a life of irrational extremism and he was part of the CIA-funded efforts to fight the Soviets in 1979 inside of Afghanistan. He was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 10, 1957. He died on May 2, 2011 at the age of 54 in Abbottabad, Pakistan (as a product of a U.S. raid in his compound). He was the founder of Al-Qaeda. His father was the well-known Saudi businessman and billionaire named Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden (who allied with Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia. He gave Prince Faisal financial assistance). He lived from 1908 to September 13, 1967 (in a plane crash). Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden led a construction company and his family had immense wealth. He or Mohammed bin Awad bin fathered a total of 77 children by 22 wives. Mohammed never had more than four wives at a time—divorcing older wives and marrying new ones as needed to limit the number of current wives to four. Osama bin Laden was raised with a strict religious and moral code. Osama went into a university. Bin Laden was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim. From 1968 to 1976, he attended the élite secular Al-Thager Model School. He studied economics and business administration at King Abdulaziz University. Later, joined the mujahedeen forces in Pakistan to fight the Soviets (under the CIA’s Operation Cyclone) back during the late 1970's. Bin Laden met and built relations with Hamid Gul, who was a three-star general in the Pakistani army and head of the ISI agency. Although the United States provided the money and weapons and the training of militant groups was entirely done by the Pakistani Armed Forces and the ISI. The Reagan administration continued to fund the terrorist mujahedeen during the 1980’s. By 1984, bin Laden and Azzam established Maktab al-Khidamat, which funneled money, arms and fighters from around the Arab world into Afghanistan. Through al-Khadamat, bin Laden's inherited family fortune paid for air tickets and accommodation, paid for paperwork with Pakistani authorities and provided other such services for the jihadi fighters. Osama bin Laden created camps for terrorists during the 1980’s. He founded Al-Qaeda in 1988. Osama bin Laden had many wives and many children. Osama believed that U.S. foreign policy oppressed, killed, and harmed Muslims in the Middle East according to former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer. It is true that many Muslims have been the victims of imperialism and oppression from the 20th century to the present. He wanted Sharia law to govern the world.

During the Persian Gulf War, Osama bin Laden met with King Fahd and Saudi Defense Minister Sultan and told them that no non-Muslims should assist them and that he could defend Saudi Arabia with his Arab legion. The Saudi monarchy rejected his plan and allowed U.S. forces in Saudi territory. Bin Laden was angered by this and said that the cities of Mecca and Medina should be protected by Muslims. The Saudi monarchy tried to silence Osama since Osama publicly criticized the Saudi policy. Osama bin Laden used a fatwa against the United States in 1996 as first published in Al Qubs Al Arabia or a London based newspaper. It was entitled "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places." Osama bin Laden’s jihadists committed terrorism in many places from Africa to the Middle East. In the 1990's, bin Laden's al-Qaeda assisted jihadis financially and sometimes militarily in Algeria, Egypt and Afghanistan. In 1992 or 1993 bin Laden sent an emissary, Qari el-Said, with $40,000 to Algeria to aid the Islamists and urge war rather than negotiation with the government. Their advice was heeded. The war that followed caused the deaths of 150,000–200,000 Algerians and ended with the Islamist surrender to the government. The 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings were a series of attacks that occurred on August 7, 1998, in which hundreds of people were killed in simultaneous truck bomb explosions at the United States embassies in the major East African cities of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya. The attacks were linked to local members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. These evil attacks brought Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri to the attention of the United States public for the first time, and resulted in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation placing bin Laden on its Ten Most Wanted list. Terrorists were in the Yugoslavian conflicts of the 1990’s too. The September 11th attacks caused Osama bin Laden to be searched heavily by the West. Osama bin Laden at first denied any involvement in 9/11 and then in 2004 claimed that he had responsibility for the attacks. One thing is true. Osama is not the only person involved in terror. Western forces have done terrorism in the fours corners of the Earth for a long time. Many al-Qaeda leaders have died. The death of Osama bin Laden in 2011 outlined a turning point. Al-Qaeda is weakened in many cases, but ISIS is still powerful. Osama bin Laden’s life and death is a lesson that murder is wrong, that evil Western imperialism is real (US intelligence in liaison with Britain’s MI6, an Israel’s Mossad, continues to provide covert support to the radical Islamist organizations), and that we should reject harming innocent human life.

British General John Burgoyne worked to fight the Americans in June of 1777. He recaptured Fort Ticonderoga in early July. Afterwards, his march was slowed by the Americans. The Americans knocked down trees in his path. His army had an extensive baggage train. There was a detachment sent out to seize supplies and they were defeated in the Battle of Bennington by American militia in August. This caused Burgoyne to be deprived of almost 1,000 men. At St. Leger, more than half of his force of Native Americans led by Sayenqueraghta—had laid siege to Fort Stanwix. American militiamen and their Native American allies marched to relieve the siege but were ambushed and scattered at the Battle of Oriskany. When a second relief expedition approached, this time led by Benedict Arnold, St. Leger's Indian support abandoned him, forcing him to break off the siege and return to Quebec. Burgoyne’s army was reduced to about 6,000 men by the loss of Bennington. He wanted to garrison Ticonderoga and he was running short on supplies. With these setbacks, Burgoyne was determined to go to Albany. An American army of 8,000 men were entrenched about 10 miles south of Saratoga, New York. They were commanded by General Horatio Gates (by they were also led by his subordinate Benedict Arnold, who was in favor of the Patriot cause at the time). Burgoyne tried to outflank the Americans, but was checked at the first battle of Saratoga in September. Burgoyne’s situation was desperate. He hoped that help from Howe’s army in New York City might be on the way. It was not. Howe sailed away on his expedition to capture Philadelphia. American militiamen flocked to Gates’s army. This caused his force to be 11,000 people by the start of October. The British were defeated badly at the second battle of Saratoga, so Burgoyne surrendered on October 17, 1777. The British General Clinton in New York City tried to create a diversion in favor of Burgoyne in early October by capturing two key forts, but he withdrew after hearing of the surrender. Saratoga was a turning point of the Revolutionary War. Once, Patriot confidence and determination suffered with Howe’s successful occupation of Philadelphia. Yet, Patriot confidence and determination improved. This victory of Saratoga caused the French to make an open alliance with America after 2 years of semi-secret support. The war was more complicated for the British. The Americans held the British prisoners taken at Saratoga until the end of the war, in direct violation of the agreed surrender terms, which specified they would be repatriated immediately.

The war continued in Pennsylvania including Philadelphia. Howe started to fight in Pennsylvania in June of 1777. He failed to engage in battle against Washington’s smaller force in New Jersey. Howe sent his troops in transports and slowly sailed to the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay. He landed 15,000 troops on August 25 at the head of the Elk River. Washington positioned his 11,000 men in a strong position along the Brandywine River. That was between the British and Philadelphia. Howe outflanked and defeated General Washington on September 11, 1777. French observers noted that Howe didn’t follow up on his victory. If Howe continued to press the Americans, then that could have destroyed Washington’s army. The Continental Congress was abandoned against in Philadelphia. On September 26, Howe financially outmaneuvered Washington and marched into Philadelphia unopposed. A part of Howe's army was then split off to reduce rebel forts blocking his communications up the Delaware River. Hoping to bring about another Trenton-like victory while the British were divided, on October 4 Washington assaulted against the British in a surprise attack at Germantown. Howe had failed to alert his troops there, despite being aware of the impending attack the previous day. The British were in danger of a rout, but faulty American decisions resulted in Washington being repulsed with heavy losses. Both armies met at White Marsh in December. There were some skirmishes. Howe decided to retire as he ignored the vulnerability of Washington’s rear. Such an attack would cut off Washington from his baggage and provisions. George Washington and his army encamped at Valley Forge in December 1777, which is about 20 miles from Philadelphia. At Valley Forge, they stayed for the next six months. During the winter, 2,500 men (out of 10,000) died from diseases and exposure to the elements. The army as reduced to 4,000 effectives. During this time, Howe's army, comfortable in Philadelphia, made no effort to exploit the weakness of the American army. The American army was in good order by the Spring of 1778 with the help of a training program, which was supervised by Baron von Steuben. Baron Von Steuben introduced the most modern Prussian methods of organization and tactics. Many historians say that British forfeited many chances for military victory in 1776-1777. According to them, if General Howe violated military tradition by going into Valley Forge in December of 1777, then the war could end in a British victory. Howe submitted his resignation in October 1777. Until it was accepted, he spent his time in Philadelphia preparing his arguments for an expected parliamentary inquiry. Although he had twice as many men as Washington, the bitter memory of Bunker Hill made him highly reluctant to attack entrenched American forces. General Clinton replaced Howe as British commander-in-chief on May 24, 1778.

After the news of surrender at Saratoga came to England and the concern over French intervention, the British decided to accept the original demands made by the American Patriots. The Parliament repealed the remaining tax on tea. They declared that no taxes should be imposed on the colonies without their consent (except for custom duties, the revenues of which would be returned to the colonies). A Commission was formed to negotiate directly with the Continental Congress for the first time. The Commission was empowered to suspend all the other objectionable acts by Parliament passed since 1763; issue general pardons, and declare a cessation of hostilities. The Commissioners arrived in America in June 1778 and offered to place the colonies in the condition of 1763 if they would return to the allegiance of the King. The Parliament agreed that no troops would be placed in the colonies without their consent. The Congress refused to negotiate the commission unless they first acknowledged American independence or withdrew all troops. On October 3, 1778, the British published a proclamation offering amnesty to any colonies or individuals who accepted their proposals within forty days, implying serious consequences if they still refused. There was no positive reply. King George III gave up all hope of subduing America by more armies, while Britain had a European war to fight. "It was a joke," he said, "to think of keeping Pennsylvania." During this time, King George III didn’t want to acknowledge the independence of the Americans. He wanted to punish them by prolonging the war eternally. So, King George III wanted to keep the 30,000 men garrisoned in New York, Rhode Island, Quebec, and Florida; other forces would attack the French and Spanish in the West Indies. To punish the Americans the King planned to destroy their coasting-trade, bombard their ports; sack and burn towns along the coast. He wanted the Native Americans to attack in frontier settlements. These operations, the King felt, would inspire the Loyalists, would splinter the Congress, and "would keep the rebels harassed, anxious, and poor, until the day when, by a natural and inevitable process, discontent and disappointment were converted into penitence and remorse." King George III believed that the colonists would beg to return to his authority. He wanted to re-subjugate the colonies after dealing with the Americans’ European allies. This plan could even harm the Loyalists and the Native Americans who supported the British.

Friday, April 15, 2016

The debate yesterday was contentious in many cases. It took place in Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn's history and culture is diverse, rich, inspiring, and historic. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took their time to outline their views. Bernie Sanders wanted to focus on many issues in a tone of wanting massive change. Hillary Clinton, throughout the debate, outlined the words of incrementalism and pragmatism in order for solutions to some about. Bernie Sanders have campaigned all over New York City just like Hillary Clinton has done. There is a massive popularity among the youth for Bernie Sanders. In one rally in Bronx, NYC, over 18,000 people came to see Bernie Sanders speak. There were other Bernie Sanders supporters there as well like Rosario Dawson, Spike Lee, and Tim Robbins. On Wednesday, about 30,000 people crowded into Washington Square Park in lower Manhattan’s Greenwich Village to hear Sanders speak too. The debate covered many issues from domestic issues to foreign party matters, which are all important issues to discuss and debate. The debate had Bernie Sanders saying that Hillary Clinton is paid money by Goldman Sachs to give speeches. Hillary Clinton accuses Bernie Sanders of not being detailed enough in outlining solutions to the problems of economic inequality and breaking up the big banks. Sanders’ own campaign site has many detailed solutions. Hillary Clinton on foreign policy is hawkish than Bernie Sanders, even though Sanders have had hawkish positions in the 1990’s and today during the 21st century.

The debate was comprehensive in the subjects that were discussion during its duration and I think that Sanders used more emotion while Hillary Clinton promotes a more centrist approach in trying to handle situations. Hillary Clinton criticized Sanders on his views on guns, which deals with immunity and gun laws. Sanders spoke about expanding Social Security explicitly and promoting a national $15 minimum wage, which Hillary Clinton has hesitated on advancing a $15 minimum wage. Hillary’s major weakness is her hawkish foreign policy that has been proven wrong in Libya, Syria, and in other places. Sanders have made the error of promoting economic nationalism, which just divides workers against each other. Even though Bernie Sanders is not perfect on the Palestine issue, to his credit, he is right to say that Palestinians must be treated with dignity and with respect (and that Israel had a disproportionate response against Gaza). Also, it is important to respect the progressive people of the South (in reference to Sanders’ comments about the South). Not everyone in the South are represented by a bunch of racists. The voters (who are honorable people) from the South, North, East, and West should be treated with dignity and with respect. I don't support Hillary, but I do realize that a revolutionary movement must respect the progressive people of all regions of America. Yet, it is true that racism is a real problem in the South. No one can deny that. Racism is found worldwide. One big point is that the DLC establishment has pragmatic, token policies that I can’t support. I believe in revolutionary change that can change the world. The super delegates have huge power and many corporate media people predict that Hillary will win the New York primary next week. Yet, the Sanders campaign is determined to fight it out. We shall see who will win. This is why we fight for justice. For a long time, big corporate forces have infiltrated and influenced elections to such a degree that we have plutocratic 2 party system (where the financial apparatus benefits the status quo instead of independent revolutionary thinking). The people being arrested showed the world that civil disobedience is alive and well in America. Some have soul their souls to big money. Likewise, there are others who are standing up for real change. This has not been fortuitous. For decades, social movements have talked about democratic power and public funding of elections. The Democracy Spring movement is a continuation of previous movements who desire egalitarian principles to be made real for the masses of the people.

It is indeed wrong with the release of the pages to not come about immediately. It is a known fact that Osama bin Laden was an ally of the CIA during the 1970's when he was fighting in Afghanistan against the Soviet military. Brzezinski (who wrote a book entitled "The Grand Chessboard" predict many of the situations that we are dealing with in the 21st century with the war on terror, the breadbasket of Eurasia, etc.) publicly supported the anti-Soviet Mujaheddin forces. We know about the BCCI corruption and about how many dictatorships in the world have been allies of America from the Shah to Pinochet. During the Reagan years, the US government funded not only the Mujaheddin, but the US gave Iraq chemical and biological weapons during the 1980's. I recall Max Cleland leaving the 9/11 Commission, because even he said that it was a whitewash. The big lie is that the American government had no knowledge of plans of attacking buildings with plans when foreign government readily gave the US intelligence community about such plans before 9/11. So, we don't need subterfuge in the world. We need transparency and a truly independent investigation of all circumstances relating to 9/11. Also, we honor the heroes. We honor the heroes who saved lives and those who passed away in saying human lives during that tragic day. After the Iraq War, ISIS existed. Many factions found in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, etc. have aided ISIS forces. We want a world where peace is in existence. We believe that the victims of imperialism and injustice deserve to have a progressive, positive future.

The Yorktown campaign was during the end of the Revolutionary War. The British General Cornwallis came from Wilmington (in Delaware) into Virginia. He wanted to conquer Virginia in order to hold the southern colonies. Before Yorktown, in January of 1781, there was a small British raiding force under Benedict Arnold. They moved in the countryside and destroyed supply depots, mills, and other economic targets. In February, General Washington dispatched General Lafayette to counter Arnold. He later sent General Anthony Wayne Arnold. Arnold was reinforced with additional troops from New York in March. His army joined the army of Cornwallis in May. Lafayette had a skirmish with Cornwallis, so it prevented a large scale battle while gathering reinforcements. Cornwallis’ superior officer, General Clinton opposed Cornwallis Virginia campaign. General Clinton believed that such a large and disease ridden area with a hostile population could be pacified with the limited forces available. Clinton wanted instead to fight further north in the Chesapeake region (as found in Maryland, Delaware, and southern Pennsylvania). Clinton believed that those areas had a strong Loyalist presence. Upon his arrival at Williamsburg in June, Cornwallis received orders from Clinton to establish a fortified naval base and a request to send several thousand troops to New York to counter a possible Franco-American attack. Following these orders, he fortified Yorktown, and, shadowed by Lafayette, awaited the arrival of the Royal Navy. There were norther, southern, and naval theaters of war converging in 1781 at Yorktown, Virginia. The French fleet became available for operations, which could either move against Yorktown or New York. Washington still favored attacking New York, but the French decided to send the fleet to their preferred target at Yorktown. Learning of the planned movement of the French fleet in August, Washington began moving his army south to cooperate. The British fleet, not realizing that the French had sent their entire fleet to America, dispatched an inadequate force under Admiral Graves, though the underlying reason for this was a lack of naval resources. Since the entry of France and Spain into the war, the British lacked the necessary ships to match their opponents every move. In early September, French naval forces defeated the British fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, cutting off Cornwallis' escape. Cornwallis, still expecting to receive support, failed to break out while he had the chance. When Washington's army arrived outside Yorktown, Cornwallis prematurely abandoned his outer position, hastening his subsequent defeat. The combined Franco-American force of 18,900 men began besieging in early October. For several days, the French and Americans bombarded the British defenses, and then began taking the outer redoubts. The British attempted to cobble together a relief expedition, but encountered numerous delays. Cornwallis decided his position was becoming untenable and he surrendered his entire army of over 7,000 men on October 19, 1781, the same day that the British fleet at New York sailed for his relief. By November 1981, news of the surrender at Yorktown arrived in Britain. King George III took the news calmly and delivered a defiant address pledging to continue the war; a majority of the House of Commons endorsed it. In the succeeding months news arrived of other reverses, however. The French and Spanish successfully took several West Indian islands and appeared to be on the verge of completely expelling the British there. Minorca also surrendered to a Franco-Spanish force on February 5, 1782 and Gibraltar seemed to be in danger of falling as well. In light of this, Parliament on February 27, 1782 voted to cease all offensive operations in America and seek peace. He or Lord North was threatened with votes of no confidence, so he resigned on March 20, 1782. His Tory government was replaced by the Whigs. The British won the Battles of the Saintes to gain parts of the West Indies and they dealt with Gibraltar. If the North government held out, they could continue to fight despite Yorktown (being strengthened). The new Whig administration accepted American independence as a basis for peace. There were no further major military activities in North America, although the British still had 30,000 garrison troops occupying New York City, Charleston, and Savannah. The war continued elsewhere, including the siege of Gibraltar and naval operations in the East and West Indies, until peace was agreed in 1783.

One lesson that our ancestors and our elders always speak is that we have to learn from history. Slavery is not just a past phenomenon. It occurs today against black people in parts of Sudan, Mauritania, etc. Some black people don't dwell on slavery, while other progressively minded black people do dwell on slavery (and how the evils of slavery has negatively impacted the world society in many ways). Racism is also an international scourge. Racism is found in the four corners of the Earth from America to the Neo-Nazi groups growing in Europe. There is racism in the Caribbean where sick, white racists go into the parts of the Caribbean for economic and sexual exploitation. Therefore, black people internationally can respect our diverse cultural identities (we should honor our cultural differences). Yet, regardless of our nationalities as black people, we have one origin and we are one black human people. Malcolm X taught us that pan-African unity and realizing our unity is one way where we can be liberated as black people. Tons of black people are victims of racism. I experienced racism in America. Afro-Brazilians have protested in the streets of Brazil to protest sexism, racism, and other injustices. People have the right to not talk about cultural appropriation if they don't want too. People have free will, but real examples of cultural appropriation shouldn't be placed under the rug. So, folks have the right to expose real cultural appropriation as well. Even in homogeneous cultures, there is sexism and classism just like in the States. I am an Black American and many of us (who are African Americans) do overtly talk about these issues because of our historical experiences of slavery, Jim Crow, Reconstruction, the civil rights movement, racism, etc. Also, there is no perfect racial Utopia on this Earth as the system of white supremacy is global. That evil system of white supremacy must be gone in order for real justice to be global.

There is no solution in America without executing anti-racist and pro-economic justice policies. So, the labor movement have every right to join the anti-racist struggle. We are against racism, classism, and any injustice. what is really important is not only food and shelter. It is about social justice. People need adequate economic resources to survive and people need policies of discrimination to be extinguished and ended. The BLM is going out to oppose police brutality, racial profiling, economic injustice, and racism. The lie is that BLM promotes anti-white bigotry, which it doesn't advance (as they don't hate people by virtue of skin color). The BLM does promote black self-determination, anti-white racism, and justice for black people. Ultimately, there is no human liberation without black liberation. Also, we have to address poverty, homelessness, and class oppression in general if we are to be truly liberated as human beings. People are pitted against each other in many ways and that doesn't mean that folks give up. People should fight that and promote solutions including the promotion of racial justice and economic justice. As for the Presidential race, Donald Trump has used his campaign to promote misogyny, ad hominem attacks, and demagogy. A Trump adviser Roger Stone said that Trump has virtually no infrastructure in the states. Trump even never campaigned in Colorado and never even visited the state. Trump hasn’t voted in a primary for the last six 4 year cycles. The Eagle Forum is a reactionary organization founded by Phyllis Schlafly to oppose the Equal Rights Amendment over 40 years ago. Schlafly endorsed Trump and she may be ousted from the Eagle Forum since disgruntled board members have endorsed the extremist Ted Cruz.

This is a great story. Against all odds, Melanie have shown the world that we should never ever give up. Her actions and her spiritual faith have guided her life. The naysayers are refuted once again with her not only graduating from high and college. She has graduated from law school. She is the living example of perseverance, the excellence of black women, and the intellectual strength of black people. She once again refutes the lie that single black mothers collectively lack character and honor. We know many single black women with integrity and with outstanding human character. Melanie is a black woman who loves her daughter and is standing up for herself and for her family. She has survived homelessness and she will make even more accomplishments in her blessed life. We love her strong spirit and we want her to establish even more blessings. She is a hero and she is a great black woman. We honor her deeds and we are always in favor of honoring the human determination of black women. We are all in awe of Lupita Nyong'o's wisdom, humbleness, compassion, and great humanitarian spirit. This is a great project and I do wish the best for all of the actors and actresses involved in this new film. Lupita (who plays a mother in the film) is right to seek out diverse roles with great meaning in order to bring diverse stories to the world and to inspire human beings to achieve their dreams irrespective of challenges. A story about a young Sister doing chess is a beautiful story.
Black Women Rock

Jackie Robinson was a man of courage. His wife is a woman of courage too. I saw a lot of the PBS documentary about Jackie Robinson's life from baseball to politics. Jackie Robinson experience a huge amount of disrespect, slurs, and hate from racists. Yet, he never given up. He not only made accomplishments in baseball. He supported civil rights, opposed injustice, and advocated for black people to have ownership of teams in the major leagues. He personified class and character. His wife has promoted tolerance and human justice for decades as well. He lived as a man on a mission to advance racial justice and human dignity. We honor his memory and we always respect the courage and the great strength of his wife (including their children). In our generation, we, as black people, are still fighting for justice. Jackie Robinson played in the Negro League and he played in the Brooklyn Dodgers back in 1947. He was the first African American to play in the Dodgers. Dodgers President and general manager Branch Rickey supported the integration of baseball. During this time, there was the explosive development of American industry, so many African Americans came from the rural south to northern cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit during the first 70 years of the twentieth century. Black people also traveled into the West Coast in cities like Seattle, Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, etc. There was the massive union movement that used strikes to fight for workers’ rights. During World War II, despite a segregated military, nearly 900,000 blacks served in the armed forces. Blacks and whites returning from the war soon took part in the greatest strike wave in US history. The years 1945 and 1946 saw more than 4 million workers on strike. By that time, over 500,000 black workers had become members of CIO unions. He fought discrimination and racism in the Army and in real life long before the 1950’s. The labor movement, the civil rights movement, etc. fought to integrate baseball.

In December 1943, Paul Robeson, the prominent black actor, singer and left-wing activist, addressed baseball’s owners at their annual winter meeting in New York, urging them to accept black ball players. Under orders from Landis, the owners ignored Robeson and failed to ask him a single question. In 1945, the New York State legislature passed the Quinn-Ives Act, which banned discrimination in hiring, and soon formed a committee to investigate discriminatory hiring practices, with a particular focus on baseball. In short order, New York’s mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, established a Committee on Baseball to push the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers to sign black players. Jackie Robinson became the Rookie of the Year. He lead the Dodgers to the World Series in 1947. He retired at the end of 1956 after bringing Brooklyn its first World Series victory in 1955. In 1959, the Boston Red Sox was the last team to sign African American players. Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. He was the first black player inducted in the Cooperstown museum. Jackie Robinson was a political independent. He was once a Republican and then switched his allegiance to the Democrats. Jackie Robinson opposed Barry Goldwater for his views on civil rights and voted for LBJ in 1964. He supported progressive causes like the Civil Rights Act and he supported Hubert Humphrey against Nixon in 1968. He supported the Vietnam War. I oppose the Vietnam War. Protesting the major leagues' ongoing lack of minority managers and central office personnel, Robinson turned down an invitation to appear in an old-timers' game at Yankee Stadium in 1969. He made his final public appearance on October 15, 1972, throwing the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the World Series. He gratefully accepted a plaque honoring the twenty-fifth anniversary of his MLB debut, but also commented, "I'm going to be tremendously more pleased and more proud when I look at that third base coaching line one day and see a black face managing in baseball." This wish was fulfilled only after Robinson's death: following the 1974 season, the Cleveland Indians gave their managerial post to Frank Robinson (no relation), a Hall of Fame-bound player who would go on to manage three other teams. Robinson passed away in 1972.

Certain stories fill me with disgust and anger. This is one of those stories. That company overtly used discriminatory practices against the young woman Cree Ballah in Toronto. Also, Zara has no explicit policy regarding hairstyles (as documented by a CBC News article that I read), so Cree has a great case against the company. Members of the company slandered Cree's hair as not clean when her hairstyle can never cause a distraction in the location. Cree Ballah's hairstyle is very professional. This problem doesn't exist in a vacuum. In the States, the U.S. Army had to change its policies on hairstyles since it once had an overtly discriminatory policy that discriminated against black women with certain hairstyles. Today, we see story after story of black women and women of color being humiliated and mistreated by corporations who can't stand hair shown in a certain way (while many white workers can shave their hair, dyed it in multiple colors, etc. without criticism or repercussions). I hope that Cree Ballah is successful in her actions. There must be a tone set that such actions of discrimination should never be tolerated at any circumstance.

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About Me

I'm a young adult learning new information and finding the truth. Over the years, I'm becoming more meek. I will still defend my beliefs though when it is necessary. I am 33 years old now. I like living in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads is apart of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. I live in the 7 city group of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Yorktown, Williamsburg, Glocuster, Cape Charles, Elizabeth City, Currituck, Sussex, and Poquoson are apart of Hampton Roads as well. So, I don't forget those important places as well. I enjoy looking at religious information, conspiracy fact information, and politics. Additionally, History is a subject that I delve into. If you have any comments and questions, you can email me at truthseeker2436577@yahoo.com. I'm usually very apt to respond to emails easily. This is a non-censorship blog so your comments will never be censored here.